Well today was the day. It is the last long run for my marathon training before I start tapering off.

But I had a problem. As these runs have been getting longer and longer, I needed to hydrate during the run, but being a minimalist, I never carry water with me.

For the shorter runs (2.5 hrs) I run the boardwalk near the beach. I’ve been running this area for a long time and know exactly where to place my water bottles without worrying about them being picked up.

So I first drive to the various locations of my route and setup my stations. But for a 4 hour run, the beach was not the best choice. I also thought about running straight down to the Ocean along the reservoir (a 26 mile path that ends up at Huntington Beach), but there are no water stops a long the way and it’s not easy to get in there (by car) to drop of any water before starting the run.

I prefer running outside, but then again, my wife has been using the treadmill for her long runs, so I decided do the same just this once. Besides, there are a lot of advantages to running on a treadmill! No weather problems, water always available, a steady pace, and entertainment.

I found myself two movies that I could watch back-to-back (Sherlock Homes I and II). I also took a few bottles of water and headed to the treadmill located in the clubhouse next door.

There was no one there in the morning until noon, so I basically had the place to myself. Everything was going great and I was right on track. I way hydrating perfectly and and really enjoyed watching the first movie with my bluetooth headset and an iPad setup on the magazine rack of the treadmill.

But then talk way through the second move and 3 hours later, I was getting very very tired. It ended up being a struggle at the 3.5 hour mark and even though I was in the correct HR Zone, my RPE was getting higher and higher! To top it off, I was also starting to get some pain in my lower back and neck.

I finished the run, but it was a lot harder that I initially thought. Yet, that was only the beginning!

For the next 4 days I had lower back pain, aches in my upper shoulders, and a horrible back neck. I was in so much pain that I decided to skip one of my runs. The good news is that the pain did go away temporality on my next run – at least until it cooled down and started to stiffen up again. All sorts of stretching just didn’t help though. So let’s face it, to over taxed some muscles.

The reason?

I was looking down at the iPad while I was running, so my upper posture was all off. I should have put the iPad up higher so that I was looking forward – darn! Four hours of bad posture was just not a good way to do my long run.

Nonetheless, this taught me a valuable lesson about keeping a proper posture while running and not to get too distracted. I should really stay focused and think about how to keep my body working efficiently. Even after reading my book on Chi Running, I should have realized what I was doing. Well – experience is always the best way to enforce actions that you need to remember. I can promise you this – I will think twice about my running posture when doing a long run next time!

This month has been so hot and between earthquakes and heat waves, running has not been #1 on the list. It’s around this time that I start looking for fitness gyms to get on the treadmills.

Yes – I know most of my friends out there do this in the winter months when it’s -20° …

Oh how I would love a little cold weather right now.

But be that as it may, I’ve been trying to get out and run. The sad part is that my running pace has gotten so slow, that it’s embarrassing! As a matter of fact, I got a new PR – in the opposite direction!

I ran the OC Fair Run last weekend to post a time of 39 min. WHAAT!!
I can almost walk it in that time! What happened to 30 minutes!?!
But I figured it out while running on the beach a few days ago. My stride is 1/2 – 1/3 of what it used to be. Ooooh boy…

This last weekend was my first time back to running.
My health is almost back to normal and the only thing left is to go see the dentist to fix up one of my teeth so as to avoid the bumping pain when I run (a filling fell out – rats!).

So, with only a few weeks left before the Disney Half Marathon, I’m looking for a way to fit my runs into a smart schedule. And for that, I’ve decided to use a part of Jeff Galloway’s training method which means I needed to figure out my Magic Mile.

Yesterday I did all the warm ups, glides, and jogging before seeing how well I could do coming off my chest cold. I was right where I thought I’d be: a 10 minute mile. So, I guess I’m looking at a 2h30m time for the moment. We’ll see how things go over the course of my last few weeks of training, but wouldn’t you know it… the weather for this coming week (all week) is RAIN!

Just when I’m ready and itchy to get going again.
Man, when it rains, it pours… get it !?!

Yesterday I was planning to go out for a light jog, but just as I was about to go, it started to pour rain. So I decided it was better to stay in and not chance getting sick like I did last time. Good choice, because today was an amazing morning. I went just to get my feet moving and realized that I’ve got a tooth ache that shoots a small pain every time my foot hits the pavement. It’s happened before, so I’m thinking it’s just a little subconscious stress.

Yeah.
Another week under my belt. And I might add that I’m using a new notch in my belt too; one that I hadn’t used for quite some time! I must admit though, that this last week was a bit of a challenge for me. Because I was out of town on business, it was a little difficult for me to get my runs in.

A new town, hotter, more humid, a 3 hour time change to boot, and the jet lag!
I’m glad there was a gym where I was staying so I could use the treadmill. That helped a lot. As for the motivation to keep up my routine, it’s still touch and go – I need to keeping working on this. But on a positive note, it still feels great after I get my run in. Just thinking of that feeling when I wake up is enough to get me out of bed early and go do it!

Distance: 6.06km Time: 0:46 Pace: 7’36 kCal: 528 Heart: 143/155 RPE: 5 Type: 1×30+8min (5k)
After days of insane schedules, meetings and seminars, it was finally time to sit back, take a breather, and de-stress. And what better way to do it, than by using the fitness center of the hotel to take a run and do some light cross training with weights.

When coming to the CTIA Wireless show in Orlando, Florida, I envisioned myself getting up early every morning, going down to the gym, and methodically doing my runs. Afterwards, I would hit the shower, have a light breakfast (with lots of fruit), and be ready in plenty of time for the 9:30 am opening Keynote speakers. Besides, when you plan what hotel your staying based on the type of equipment they have in the fitness center, you know you’re an exercise freak and will be using all the equipment everyday during your stay, right?!?… WRONG!

This week was an interesting one. Getting on the treadmill in the garage and plugging though the routines. Looking back on it now, everything seems so distant. All I can think about is how hard my second workout was. Running away, step-by-step, one foot in front of the other, down in a dark dreary garage with the crickets chirping in the background (yes – we have a bunch a crickets in the garage that I’ve been trying to get rid of for a while). But then being able to get out on the weekend to run around the reservoir made a complete difference.

It was a tough week for me, but mostly psychological/motivation-wise. Now I’m looking forward to running outside and at different locations. I think a change in scenery will definitely give me the extra uhmpf I need to continue through this plan.

Distance: 9.5km Time: 1:20 Pace: 8’26 kCal: 873 Heart: 133/163 RPE: 7 Type: 2x10min
First time out after two runs on the treadmill. I was wondering how I’d do since it was my first run outside around the reservoir. I got out pretty late this morning, so I didn’t see many of the regulars. I also had to cut it short at the end in order to make it back in time for work. It’d sure be nice if we could all have 3-day weekends, no?

All in all, I felt pretty good that I could pull this off first thing on a Friday morning. That makes going into the weekend even more exciting. The forecast is for rain, but I’m hoping it’ll hold off a little bit. My plan is to do my runs on the boardwalk between the Newport and Balboa piers. Even though there are usually a lot of cyclists, it’s always nice to run alongside the ocean around sunrise. Besides, it’s the only time I can justify having a coffee and donut!